NAFTALI BENNETT

Israel's Cabinet approved Sunday the launch of a state investigation into an affair involving the purchase of submarines and other warships from Germany, a case that has embroiled close confidants of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The graft scandal surrounds a possible conflict of interest and bribery involving a $2 billion purchase of naval vessels from Germany's Thyssenkrupp that implicated some of Netanyahu's closest associates. The Cabinet authorized establishing a state investigation into the case by vote.

A retired Israeli general has emerged as one of the country's most vocal critics against settlers in the occupied West Bank.

The head of emergencies at the World Health Organization says the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, including deaths, hospitalizations and lockdowns, could be over this year if huge inequities in vaccinations and medicines are addressed quickly.

The worst of the coronavirus pandemic — deaths, hospitalizations and lockdowns — could be over this year if huge inequities in vaccinations and medicines are addressed quickly, the head of emergencies at the World Health Organization said Tuesday. Dr. Michael Ryan, speaking during a panel discussion on vaccine inequity hosted by the World Economic Forum, said “we may never end the virus” because such pandemic viruses “end up becoming part of the ecosystem.” WHO has slammed the imbalance in COVID-19 vaccinations between rich and poor countries as a catastrophic moral failure.

An Israeli hospital says preliminary research indicates a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine provides only limited defense against the omicron variant that's raging around the world.

Arab politician Mansour Abbas broke a longstanding taboo when he joined Israel’s governing coalition last year.

Police in England say they have arrested two teenagers in their investigation into an armed British national holding four people hostage during a 10-hour standoff at a Texas synagogue.

Check in with your mental and physical health often (if not every day) with these MD-approved reflections.

Israel’s Health Ministry says more than 500,000 people have received a 4th vaccine dose.

Israel’s fragile governing coalition is facing a crisis over tree-planting on disputed land in the Negev desert

Israel’s fragile governing coalition has moved to resolve a crisis over tree-planting on disputed land in the Negev desert.

The omicron variant is outpacing the government's ability to make and execute clear pandemic public policy.

Even in relatively small, wealthy Israel, an early global leader against the coronavirus pandemic, the omicron variant is outpacing the government's ability to make and execute clear pandemic public policy. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) (Ariel Schalit)TEL AVIV, Israel — (AP) — Israel opened to tourists for the first time in nearly two years. Even in the relatively small, wealthy Mideast nation - an early global leader against the coronavirus pandemic - the omicron variant is outpacing the government's ability to make and execute clear pandemic public policy. On Wednesday, the government reported a record for the pandemic in Israel, with 11,978 new infections a day earlier. “There is no control of the omicron wave,” said Sharon Alroy-Preis, the Health Ministry’s top public health official on Israel’s Channel 13 this week.

Even in relatively small, wealthy Israel, an early global leader against the coronavirus pandemic, the omicron variant is outpacing the government's ability to make and execute clear pandemic public policy. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) (Ariel Schalit)TEL AVIV, Israel — (AP) — Israel has recorded its highest-ever number of new coronavirus infections — driven by the ultra-contagious omicron variant — despite restrictions on travel and required quarantines, the government reported on Wednesday. TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel opened to tourists for the first time in nearly two years. On Sunday, as the omicron variant sets infection records, the country will once again crack open — but only to travelers from certain countries. Government data shows new infections in Israel spiking to 10,815 on Monday, some 7,000 more than a week earlier.

Even in relatively small, wealthy Israel, an early global leader against the coronavirus pandemic, the omicron variant is outpacing the government's ability to make and execute clear pandemic public policy. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) (Ariel Schalit)TEL AVIV, Israel — (AP) — Israel opened to tourists for the first time in nearly two years. On Sunday, as the omicron variant sets infection records, the country will once again crack open — but only to travelers from certain countries. Even in relatively small, wealthy Israel, an early global leader against the coronavirus pandemic, the omicron variant is outpacing the government's ability to make and execute clear pandemic public policy. “There is no control of the omicron wave,” said Sharon Alroy-Preis, the Health Ministry’s top public health official on Israel’s Channel 13 this week.

Even in relatively small, wealthy Israel, an early global leader against the coronavirus pandemic, the omicron variant is outpacing the government's ability to make and execute clear pandemic public policy. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) (Ariel Schalit)TEL AVIV, Israel — (AP) — Israel opened to tourists for the first time in nearly two years. On Sunday, as the omicron variant sets infection records, the country will once again crack open — but only to travelers from certain countries. Even in relatively small, wealthy Israel, an early global leader against the coronavirus pandemic, the omicron variant is outpacing the government's ability to make and execute clear pandemic public policy. “There is no control of the omicron wave,” said Sharon Alroy-Preis, the Health Ministry’s top public health official on Israel’s Channel 13 this week.

Israel says coronavirus infections in the country have spiked to a new record high since the start of the pandemic.

___BERLIN — Germany has relaxed restrictions on travel from the U.K., South Africa and seven other southern African countries that were imposed following the emergence of the new omicron coronavirus variant. ___NEW DELHI, India — Authorities in India's capital have imposed a weekend stay-at-home order because of a surge in coronavirus infections triggered by the omicron variant. The capital recorded over 4,000 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and its test positivity rate surged to 6.5%. ___PHOENIX — Arizona health officials on Monday reported the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in a year. The new mandate comes as coronavirus cases have skyrocketed across the country, driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.

Israel's refusal to recognize liberal Reform and Conservative streams of Judaism has long been a point of tension with American Jews.

When Israel's new government took office last June, it indicated it would press ahead on an egalitarian prayer site at Jerusalem's Western Wall — a sensitive holy site that has emerged as a point of friction between Jews over how prayer is conducted there. The inaction has disappointed both Israeli groups that promote religious pluralism and their American Jewish allies, who view the issue as an important test of recognition from the Israeli government. “Anyone can topple the government if they sneeze in the wrong direction,” said Anat Hoffman, chairwoman of Women of the Wall, a group that advocates for pluralistic prayer at the holy site.

Oregon reported more than 9,700 new cases of COVID-19 from the holiday weekend on Monday and smashed a previous record for weekly coronavirus cases with an average of about 2,400 new daily cases as the omicron variant took hold.

(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (Ng Han Guan)JERUSALEM — Israel’s prime minister is warning that the country will soon see tens of thousands of new coronavirus cases a day. New COVID-19 cases in France have surpassed 200,000 for four consecutive days, fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant. The country now has more than 1,500 confirmed omicron cases, with the highest number in the western state of Maharashtra. ___ATLANTA — Another one of Georgia’s largest school districts has decided to start 2022 classes virtually because of high numbers of COVID-19 cases. Atlanta schools join Fulton County, Dekalb County, Clayton County and Rockdale County schools in a virtual return after Christmas.

Egyptian officials are pushing for Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip to rein in hostilities and adhere to a cease-fire in place since the war in May.

Israel has approved a fourth vaccine dose for people most vulnerable to COVID-19, becoming one of the first countries to do so as it braces for a wave of infections fueled by the omicron variant.

Israel’s defense minister has approved a raft of measures aimed at improving relations with the Palestinians following a rare meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Israel

(Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP) (Abir Sultan)TEL AVIV, Israel — (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Tuesday he is not opposed to a “good” nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, but voiced skepticism that such an outcome would emerge from the current negotiations. Bennett spoke a day after negotiators from Iran and five world powers resumed talks in Vienna on restoring Tehran’s tattered 2015 nuclear deal. “At the end of the day, of course there can be a good deal,” Bennett told Israeli Army Radio. Tehran’s landmark 2015 accord granted Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy and it strongly opposed the 2015 deal.

Israel's prime minister says he doesn't oppose a “good” nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

Israeli authorities say bird flu has killed thousands of migratory cranes and forced farms to kill over 500,000 chickens to contain the outbreak.

Israel's government minister for public security on Monday said he is now under round-the-clock protection after coming under threats from Jewish extremists. Barlev, who oversees the national police force, said U.S. officials had raised concerns about the settler violence with him and that he pledged to address the issue. “I will continue to fight Palestinian terrorism as if there is no extremist settler violence — and extremist settler violence as if there is no Palestinian terrorism,” he said at the time.

The trial at Sheba Medical Center in central Israel involves 150 medical workers in what's believed to be the world's first trial of fourth Pfizer doses.

The clinical trial involves 150 volunteers from the staff of a hospital near Tel Aviv who are at least four months removed from their third vaccine shot and have signs of waning antibodies.

Iraqi families mourn while waiting at Arbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan for the bodies of their relatives. The bodies of sixteen people have been repatriated to Arbil after their boat sank in the English Channel. At least 27 people died in the November 24 tragedy, the deadliest disaster since the Channel became a hub for clandestine migrant crossings from France to England.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday the country intends to double the amount of settlers living in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights with a multimillion-dollar plan meant to further consolidate Israel’s hold on the territory it captured from Syria more than five decades ago. Bennett said the new investment in the region was prompted by the Trump administration's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the swath of land and by the Biden administration’s indication that it will not soon challenge that decision.

France's government is stepping up vaccination efforts amid fast-growing infections by the omicron variant, notably opening up injections to children under 12 for the first time. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias) (Jean-Francois Badias)JERUSALEM — Israeli health officials are reporting what is believed to be the country’s first death from the omicron variant of the coronavirus. The omicron variant is already the dominant strain in the U.S. and is expected to spread rapidly through Michigan in the near future, Gov. ___PORTLAND, Maine — Maine’s status of having one of the lowest burdens of COVID-19 cases in the country is being challenged by a surge in cases. ___NEW YORK — The omicron variant is creating havoc on Broadway, with more shows temporarily shutting their doors during the busy Christmas week and one giving up for good.

The United Arab Emirates has recorded its biggest jump in daily coronavirus cases in months, a spike that comes as the omicron variant races across the globe and the Mideast tourist hub prepares to welcome hordes of tourists for the holidays.

JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israeli ministers on Monday agreed to ban travel to the United States, Canada and eight other countries amid the rapid, global spread of the omicron variant. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office announced the decision following a Cabinet vote. Once authorized, the travel ban will take effect at midnight Wednesday morning. Israel has seen a surge in new cases of the more infectious coronavirus variant in recent weeks, and began closing its borders and restricting travel in late November. Other countries that were approved to be added to the travel ban starting Wednesday are Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey.

Israeli ministers have agreed to ban travel to the United States, Canada and eight other countries amid the rapid, global spread of the omicron variant.

Bennett said it was especially critical for parents to get their children vaccinated. “The children's vaccine is safe, and it is the responsibility of the parents," Bennett said. The country’s health ministry has reported at least 134 confirmed cases of the omicron variant since its emergence in late November. The Haaretz news site on Sunday said some 17 travelers with the coronavirus arrived on a single flight from Miami, most of them with the omicron variant. Health authorities recommended that the U.S. and Canada be added to that list, with the decision expected to go into effect on Wednesday.

JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israel’s prime minister warned citizens against the spread of the new, highly infectious variant of coronavirus on Sunday and urged them to vaccinate. Naftali Bennett told ministers that there was already community transmission of the omicron variant in Israel and a rise in the country's coronavirus infection rate. He urged Israelis that “every citizen must see to themselves, their family, and their children. The country’s health ministry has reported at least 134 confirmed cases of the omicron variant since its emergence in late November. Israel largely closed its international borders after the emergence of the omicron variant.

Israel’s prime minister is calling on parents to vaccinate their children against the coronavirus as the new omicron variant showed signs of spreading.

JERUSALEM — (AP) — Palestinian militants on Thursday opened fire near a Jewish settlement in the northern West Bank, killing at least one Israeli, according to Israeli leaders. It said the shooting took place near the settlement of Homesh, in the northern West Bank. Homesh was one of four West Bank settlements evacuated as part of Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005. At the same time, the northern West Bank has seen a sharp jump in settler violence against Palestinians in recent months. Israel captured east Jerusalem and the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war.

(Haim Zach/Israel Government Press Office via AP) (Haim Zach)TEL AVIV, Israel — (AP) — A person who was on Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's flight back from the United Arab Emirates has tested positive for COVID-19, the prime minister’s office said Tuesday. He was in a three-day quarantine on Tuesday as per Health Ministry regulations, which require all returning travelers, even those vaccinated, to self-isolate. Bennett's office did not specify who the person was who tested positive. Bennett was meant to be accompanied by a phalanx of Israeli and foreign journalists and a sizeable entourage on the visit. It has barred travel to all countries in sub-Saharan Africa and imposed self-quarantine requirements for all returning travelers.

The Israeli prime minister's office says a person on the Israeli leader's flight back from the United Arab Emirates has tested positive for COVID-19.

The meeting comes amid rising tensions in the region between Iran and its adversaries, as Tehran ramps up its nuclear development.

Israel UAE Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. Israel and the UAE have long shared common anxiety over Iran’s nuclear program. “I am very excited to be here, on the first official visit by an Israeli leader," Bennett said. That agreement, launched by President Barack Obama, granted Iran relief from stifling sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. It says it wants an improved deal that places tighter restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program and addresses Iran’s long-range missile program and its support for hostile proxies along Israel’s borders.

Israel UAE Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. Bennett announced that he would make the first official visit by a sitting premier to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday as part of a blitz of regional diplomacy amid the backdrop of struggling nuclear talks with Iran. Israel and the UAE have long shared common anxiety over Iran’s nuclear program. That agreement, launched by President Barack Obama, granted Iran relief from stifling sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. It says it wants an improved deal that places tighter restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program and addresses Iran’s long-range missile program and its support for hostile proxies along Israel’s borders.

Israel UAE FILE - Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett chairs a weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. Bennett announced that he would make the first official visit by a sitting premier to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, Dec. 12, as part of a blitz of regional diplomacy amid the backdrop of struggling nuclear talks with Iran. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File) (Ariel Schalit)JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israel's prime minister announced that he would make the first official visit by a sitting premier to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday as part of a blitz of regional diplomacy amid the backdrop of struggling nuclear talks with Iran. The UAE visit will be the first by an Israeli prime minister. Bennett's one-day trip is timed to coincide with ongoing nuclear talks between world powers and Iran.

JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israel's prime minister announced that he would make the first official visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday as part of a blitz of regional diplomacy amid the backdrop of struggling nuclear talks with Iran. Naftali Bennett's office said he will be meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and discussing strengthening economic and military ties. The UAE visit will be the first by an Israeli prime minister. Israel and the UAE had long enjoyed clandestine security cooperation, but formalized ties last year as part of the U.S.-brokered “Abraham Accords” last year. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has made a historic trip to the United Arab Emirates, the first visit to the country by an Israeli premier.

TEL AVIV, Israel — (AP) — Israel's Justice Ministry said Sunday that two police officers were brought in for questioning following the shooting death of a Palestinian who had stabbed an Israeli man in east Jerusalem. The shooting drew comparisons to a 2016 incident in which an Israeli soldier was caught on camera shooting a wounded Palestinian attacker who was lying on the ground. The Old City is in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 war along with the West Bank and Gaza. In the widely publicized 2016 case, Israeli soldier Elor Azaria was caught on camera shooting a wounded Palestinian attacker who was lying on the ground. In a more recent case, a Border Police officer was charged with reckless manslaughter in the deadly shooting of an autistic Palestinian man in Jerusalem’s Old City last year.

The long-delayed resumption of nuclear talks with Iran has gotten off to a rough start.

Israel’s Justice Ministry says that two police officers have been brought in for questioning following the shooting death of a Palestinian who stabbed an Israeli man in east Jerusalem.

Iran is striking a hard line after just one day of restarted talks in Vienna over its tattered nuclear deal.

Wisdom may be gained with age but, researchers say, you have to pursue it. Correspondent Susan Spencer looks at what accounts for the accumulation of wisdom, which can represent a freedom and creativity unknown to our younger selves.

Can the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers be restored.

Israel's prime minister says the country is “on the threshold of an emergency situation” after authorities detected its first case of a new coronavirus variant in a traveler who returned from Malawi.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Friday that Israel is "on the threshold of an emergency situation” after authorities detected the country’s first case of a new coronavirus variant and barred travel to and from most African countries. The Health Ministry said it detected the new strain in a traveler who had returned from Malawi and was investigating two other suspected cases. At a Cabinet meeting convened Friday to discuss the new variant, Bennett said it is more contagious and spreads more rapidly than the delta variant.

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Mohammad Eslami says Iran is 'determined' to pursue its nuclear programme, during a statement to the press in Tehran after meeting with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi, as talk began a week before the resumption of negotiations to salvage the Iran nuclear deal. TO COMPLETE VIDI9T82UR_EN

TEL AVIV, Israel — (AP) — Israel on Tuesday began administering the coronavirus vaccine to children age 5 to 11. The country recently emerged from a fourth COVID wave, and daily infections have been relatively low for the last few weeks. Children age 5 to 11 make up nearly half of active cases. Israeli media reported low demand for the shots on the first day they were available to this age group. Israel, which has a population of more than 9 million, has had more than 1.3 million infections since the start of the pandemic and more than 8,100 deaths.

Israel has begun administering the coronavirus vaccine to children age 5 to 11.

Small dovish parties that support Palestinian statehood and oppose Jewish settlements are back in Israel’s government after years in the country’s political wilderness - but they are finding their influence is limited

Small dovish parties that support Palestinian statehood are back in Israel's government after years in the country's political wilderness - but they are finding their influence is limited.

An Israeli couple held by Turkey on suspicion of espionage has returned home after they were released from a weeklong detention.

JERUSALEM — (AP) — A Palestinian man on Tuesday was shot and killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials said. In recent months, the West Bank has seen an increase in violence. There also have been a string of attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians. Nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers live in more than 130 settlements scattered across the West Bank. Israel considers the West Bank to be the biblical and historical heartland of the Jewish people.

The Jordanian Royal Palace said in a statement that Abdullah and United Arab List lawmaker Mansour Abbas discussed “the latest developments in the Palestinian territories and ways to advance the peace process.” Abbas’s office confirmed that he met with the Jordanian leader in Amman, but provided no additional details.

The Palestinians have slammed Israel for rejecting the promised reopening of the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has watched from the sidelines as the government that toppled him after 12 years in power passed a national budget, dealing a major blow to his hopes of a swift comeback.

Israel Politics Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attends a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. Failure to pass the budget by Nov. 14 would have brought down the government that was sworn into office in June and triggered a fifth election in barely three years, giving former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an opportunity to return to power. A short-lived national unity government formed to combat the coronavirus pandemic collapsed last year after failing to pass a budget, triggering a fourth election. Meanwhile, Netanyahu is on trial for fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three cases while serving as prime minister. He used his platform as prime minister to level scathing attacks on his political opponents, the media and law enforcement.

Israel Politics Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attends a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. (Ronen Zvulun/Pool Photo via AP) (Ronen Zvulun)JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israel's parliament passed a national budget for the first time in three years early on Thursday, avoiding a November deadline that would have triggered fresh elections. The marathon overnight voting on budget bills in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, was a major hurdle for the new government headed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose fractious coalition holds a narrow majority. Early Thursday morning, the Knesset voted 61-59 in favor of a 2021 budget bill, the first approved by parliament since 2018. The next two years saw four successive deadlocked elections, and a parliament was dissolved in 2020 because it failed to pass a budget.

Israel’s parliament has passed a national budget for the first time in three years, avoiding a November deadline that would have brought down the new government and triggered another election.

Israel's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Economy Minister Orna Barbivai and her Jordanian counterpart, Yousef Alshamali, signed an agreement to increase caps on Jordan exports to the Palestinian Authority. The meeting was aimed at “enhancing civilian ties between Israel and Jordan, strengthening neighborly relations, and promoting cooperation between the two countries," the ministry said. Israel and Jordan made peace in 1994 and have close security ties. Since the inauguration of Israel's new government in June, however, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has prioritized mending fences with Jordan. The countries have signed trade and water deals, and in September, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met King Abdullah II in the Jordanian capital, Amman, less than two months after Bennett met Abdullah in secret.

TEL AVIV, Israel — (AP) — Israel’s energy minister, who uses a wheelchair, was able to attend the global climate summit Tuesday, a day after police prevented her from reaching the venue. Energy Minister Karine Elharrar arrived at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow alongside Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, using a blue ramp to enter the building, according to footage sent by Bennett's office. “Tomorrow the exact same thing will be here,” he said, gesturing toward the accessible entrance. A spokeswoman for Elharrar said Monday that she wasn’t able to attend the conference after police officers at a checkpoint did not let her vehicle with the wheelchair through. The incident was an embarrassment to organizers of the high-profile event and prompted Britain's ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, to apologize.

Israel’s energy minister has been able to attend the global climate summit after police initially prevented her from reaching the venue.

Energy minister Karine Elharrar says she was taken to several entrances on Monday, the first full day of the conference, but was unable to get inside from any of them.

Israel has approved about 3,000 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank.

A military takeover will test whether Biden is truly committed to protecting democracy around the world.

JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israeli leaders on Thursday recommended reopening the country to fully vaccinated tourists beginning on Nov. 1, a year and a half after closing its borders to most foreign visitors due to the global coronavirus pandemic. The decision, which still requires formal government approval, comes as Israel emerges from a fourth wave of coronavirus infections. It comes just ahead of the busy Christmas season, when tens of thousands of foreigners visit holy sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank. Throughout the closure, Israel has allowed some foreigners to visit, including people with close relatives in the country and people coming for work or study. Those visitors must take coronavirus tests before their incoming flights, upon arrival and before they fly out of the country.

Israeli leaders have recommended reopening the country to fully vaccinated tourists beginning on Nov. 1.

Israel’s new environmental protection minister has set some ambitious goals: Tamar Zandberg believes she can use her office to play an important role in the global battle against climate change while also promoting peace in the volatile Middle East.

Sweden’s foreign minister is visiting Israel in an effort to mend ties after years in which the two countries have been at odds over the conflict with the Palestinians.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has implored Israel not “to lose sight” of the need to establish a Palestinian state

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has implored Israel not “to lose sight” of the need to establish a Palestinian state.

Germany's lame-duck chancellor, Angela Merkel, received a warm welcome Sunday as she paid a final official visit to Israel, but differences quickly emerged between the close allies on the key issues of Iran's nuclear program and the establishment of a Palestinian state. Merkel said that Germany remains committed to reviving the international nuclear agreement with Iran — a step Israel opposes.

JERUSALEM — (AP) — The Israeli government on Sunday said it was enlisting the military and the Shin Bet internal security agency as it tries to rein in a wave of violence in the country's Arab sector. Israeli officials have touted a number of initiatives in recent years, including larger budgets for law enforcement in Arab communities. But Arab residents recently have called on the government to do more for their communities. Under the coalition deal, the government promised to devote considerable attention and resources to the Arab sector. “The state is now mobilizing to protect Arab citizens from the blight of crime and illegal weapons, and from murder and protection rackets,” he said.

The Israeli government on Sunday said it was enlisting the military and the Shin Bet internal security agency as it tries to rein in a wave of violence in the country's Arab sector. The Arab minority, which makes up around 20% of Israel’s population, has been convulsed by violent crime in recent years, with a murder rate that far exceeds its share of the population. Israeli officials have touted a number of initiatives in recent years, including larger budgets for law enforcement in Arab communities.

A second hospital in Alaska is beginning to ration health care as the state deals with a spike in coronavirus cases.

President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan is heading to Cairo for talks with Egyptian government officials about rising tensions between Israel and Hamas.

As Europe’s economic powerhouse Germany embarks on the task of piecing together a new ruling coalition after Sunday’s knife-edge election, observers need only look to its neighbors, Belgium and the Netherlands, to see how tricky the process can be.

Israel’s new prime minister has appealed to the international community to stand together against Iran.

Palestinian health officials say at least five Palestinians have been killed in shootouts with Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday gave Israel one year to end its occupation of territories the Palestinians want for a future state.

The United Nations chief is warning global leaders at the opening of the U_N_'s foremost gathering that the world has never been more threatened and divided and “we face the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetime.”.

The Biden administration is releasing nearly $200 million in military aid to Egypt but will hold back millions more over human rights concerns.

Israel has launched a massive manhunt in the country's north and the occupied West Bank after six Palestinian prisoners escaped from a high-security facility.

Israel’s government watchdog has released a report criticizing the former government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Israel’s prime minister’s office has urged former premier Benjamin Netanyahu to return dozens of expensive gifts he received while serving in the nation’s top job.

Israel’s defense minister has held talks with the Palestinian president in the occupied West Bank, the first high-level meeting between the two sides in years.

Hundreds of Palestinians have ended a protest along Gaza's separation fence with Israel.

The need for crisis-driven leadership comes to all U.S. presidents.

President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that diplomacy was his first option, but that he would consider other options if his effort to revive the Iran nuclear deal fails.